The Grand Opening Day for the Sunday market at the Labor Temple was amazing…and just a taste of what’s to come for the rest of the Spring, Summer and Fall.

This week…we’ve got more excellent local flavors and products – Layla’s Persian Food will be on the menu, as well as SuperCharge Foods, AMAZING chocolate from local chocolatier Elizabeth Crawford. Mighty Roots Plant Starters will be offering up a number of your favorite garden plants AND giving away free laptop computers!

Of course, there will be a beautiful array of hanging baskets and other annual flowers in addition to early season produce!

Time to PAAARRRTTYYY!!!! — at the South Madison Farmer’s Market May 8th 2016 at the Labor Temple (1602 S. Park Street). Bring your Mama for Mother’s Day or just come down to enjoy the food, the music and the community!

Junk food is all around us. It is fast, it is cheap, and it is addicting.

It is also killing us.

Junk food is food that has a lot of calories and little nutritional value. Hamburgers, pizza, and soda, for example, are all examples of junk food.

Even though these foods are often easy to buy and tasty to eat, they should not be eaten often. In fact, they are making the South Madison community less healthy by the minute.

Only 1 out of every 10 teenagers, and 1 out of every 4 adults in Dane County eat the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Many people are eating junk food instead.

Studies have shown that eating junk food can lead to serious health problems. These include obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression.

Every year, 611 Dane County residents die from heart disease and 59 die from diabetes. In addition, 1 out of every 10 teenagers, and 1 out of every 5 adults in Dane County are either overweight or obese.

Hmong, Hispanic and African Americans in Dane County are much more likely to be overweight or obese than Whites in the area.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

By choosing to eat healthy foods instead of junk foods, you can lower your chances of getting these deadly diseases.

Here at the South Madison Farmers’ Market, we love to give advice on healthy eating. Please stop by and ask us about how eating fruits and vegetables can help your health! We are always happy to help.

Eating healthy foods can be hard at first, but just remember to take it one step at a time.

The South Madison Farmers’ Market is here to help you get good food in your community, and supports you in living a healthier, longer life.

As winter comes upon us and many fruits and vegetables go out of season, eating healthy meals with fresh, local food can be hard.

Luckily, there are still many seasonal root vegetables that can be used in delicious, affordable meals. Because root vegetables grow underground, they absorb vitamins and nutrients from the soil, making them a healthy option. Some examples include carrots, onions, garlic, celery and beets.

We have included our favorite recipes for cooking with root vegetables below. Stop by your local grocery store to pick and pick up a few veggies, or purchase a Growing Power Market Basket and receive a variety of homegrown produce. Each recipe is only 5 ingredients or less!

Squash-Mashed Potatoes with Cranberry Sauce

What you need:

Butternut squash are a common and healthy kind of squash to cook with.

1 Butternut squash

4 (or more) large potatoes

1.5 sticks of butter

1 cup of half-and-half (or milk)

Salt, pepper and garlic (if desired)

Directions:

Squash-Mashed Potatoes

Begin by peeling the potatoes and squash. An easy way to peel squash is to cut off the top and bottom, poke holes around the squash using a fork, and microwave for 3-4 minutes. This softens the skin and makes it much easier to peel the otherwise very-hard skin. Make sure to remove the seeds from the squash once it is peeled and cut open.

Cut the potatoes and squash into 2-3 square inch sections.

Place the squash and potatoes in a large pot and cover with slightly-salty water by 1 inch. Bring the water to boil, then let simmer at a lower heat for 20-30 minutes (until squash/potatoes are easily penetrable with a fork or knife)

Drain the water and let the vegetables dry by stirring them on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

In a smaller pan, melt 6 tablespoons of butter (a stick and a half), a cup of half-and-half or milk, salt and pepper, and garlic (if desired).

Pour the melted butter mix onto the squash and potatoes and mash the vegetables by using a beater or fork until creamy

Cranberry Sauce

Combine a cup of water and a cup or sugar (or less) in a saucepan and bring to boil so sugar dissolves.

Add the bag of cranberries (~3 cups) to the water and let cook at medium-heat until cranberries pop (~10 minutes)

Let the sauce cool so it thickens.If desired, squeeze juice from the oranges into the sauce to add extra zest

Place over mashed squash-potatoes and enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables (Beets, Turnips and Carrots)

What You Need:

Desired number of beets, carrots, and turnips (or other root vegetables)

Vegetable/Olive oil

Salt, pepper, and sugar (if desired)

Honey and Balsamic/Red Wine Vinegar (if desired)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Begin by peeling the beets, turnips, and carrots and cutting them into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the vegetable. Make sure they are cut into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly.

Place the vegetables in a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons of balsamic or red wine vinegar (if desired), salt, pepper, and sugar (to taste). Mix the vegetables and seasoning until they are evenly covered.

Place a single-layer on a roasting pan and place in oven. Let cook for 45-60 minutes, or until vegetables appear browned and roasted. Stir/flip the vegetables occasionally while roasting

After they are done cooking, glaze with a small amount of vinegar and honey for extra flavor (if desired).

Pumpkin Soup

What You Need:

1 whole pumpkin

1 onion (additional vegetables if desired)

¼ to 1/2 cup of olive/vegetable oil

5 cups of vegetable broth

Salt and Pepper (additional seasonings if desired)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450°F.

Begin by cutting the pumpkin into 2-inch sections and removing seeds. Peel an onion and cut into thin slices or dice if preferred. Combine in a bowl and cover with a half-cup or olive or vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of salt.

Place the pumpkin and onion on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for ~3o minutes. Rotate and toss vegetables halfway through. Let cool and remove the skins from the pumpkin by peeling off.

Transfer to a pot and heat over medium heat. Add 2 cups of vegetable-based broth.

Puree the pumpkin with a whisk or blender.

Slowly add another 3 cups of vegetable broth and simmer over medium heat.

Continue to season with salt and pepper to taste and serve while hot.

An Easy Way to Prepare Green Beans

Directions:

Place green beans in a large pan with 1/4 cup of water.

Cook on high heat until water boils, cover the pan and continue to cook for 3 minutes

Uncover the pan and add 1 tablespoon (1/4 stick) of butter or olive/vegetable oil. Cook on medium heat until water evaporates and the beans are crisp-tender

Add salt, pepper, and other desired seasonings and enjoy!

You can also easily add greens beans to the roasted root vegetable mix.

As always, feel free to reach out to the South Madison Farmers’ Market with any questions or to offer recipes of your own!